Humanity For A Price
by Double M B
Summary: Donnie, after almost three years, can now turn himself human to be with his love; April O'Neil. But being human comes with a cost. Is that cost enough to pay to be happy? Free? With your love? (Based off some of the fanart of Brushbell on tumblr)


**Okay so is based off some fanart from Brushbell on Tumblr (She does awesome TMNT fanart so yeah) **

** This is set where the turtles are college aged (17-18 years old)**

** Enjoy! :)**

Donnie's POV

"Damn it!" I cursed, slamming my fist on my desk. I rubbed my head angrily with my other hand as if I had hair to mess up. Overly frustrated, I stared at the scattered petri dishes ontop of my desk and onto the stool next to me, "Why won't this work?!" I demanded, running my arm across the top and knocking several onto the ground. The landed all at once with a loud crash. I mumbled some profanity as I stared at the spilt contents. Failures. Just a bunch of stupid failures.

"I thought it'd work this time." I told Metalhead's decapitated head that sat across from me. I waited for an answer that'd never come, "I mean, all the samples are unstable!" I argued, motioning back to the petri dishes. Each one had a sample of my blood and skin along with the new chemical I was _trying_ to make. Everything my brothers do work but if I so as _try_ to make something, it doesn't work. Nothing works. Well, for me that is.

"Why can't I just be human?" I asked myself. My gaze drifted to the picture hanging over my desk of April. I gave a long heavy sigh. Why does everything have to be so hard for me? Why can't something just _work_ for once?! At with seeing the picture of April came the image of Casey Jones. I slammed my fist on my desk again. Two or three years already that we've known them and April _still _didn't even have a clue about my crush (Now I know why it's called a 'crush').

April was headed off for college soon and where did that leave me? It left me alone stuck in a lab doing useless experiments and learning useless things that I'll never be able to share; that's where. Damn, why did I have to be born a mutant? Why couldn't a be born a human? Free to go anywhere on the surface. Not having to hide. Why did I have to be born as a turtle? If there is a God, there must be some kind of lagitament reason besides just trying to torture me! Why would any higher being just put me on this earth to fall in love then have my heart be ripped in two? To be tortured by my own thoughts and dreams?

That's why this had to work. It just had to...

"Donnie?" Came my brother's voice. I looked over my shoulder to see a tired Leo, "Why are you still up?" He asked, getting into his disciplining-older-brother-mode. I sighed.

"Leo-" I started.

"Donnie, you said you wouldn't be doing this anymore." He nagged.

"But-"

"No 'but's'. You promised Splinter that you'd actually sleep." He replied, crossing his arms and glaring at me. I opened my mouth to argue and made motions at all my experiments I was working on. He rose an eyebrow ridge angrily.

"C'mon Leo, I'm not even tired." I protested, hoping he didn't notice the dark circles around my eyes.

"Donatello." He stated, starting to tap his foot. I groaned, knowing I wasn't getting anywhere by arguing with him. "You can work on it tomorrow." He said.

"Fine, I'm coming." I said. He nodded and walked back out.

My eyes fell on the spilt chemicals and samples. To my surprise, they started glowing. A small smile formed across my lips as I watched the reaction (I knew it'd probably blow up in my face but I should at least have a little hope). The small bits of my green skin tissue started to turn a horrifying pallor. There were several bubbling and fizzing sounds. I wrinkled my beak at the stench that started to slowly diffuse. The color changed again but not into the green of my skin; the color faded into a pale, pinkish human skin tone. The smell drifted away and so did the sounds. I gasped and grinned in the short silence.

"It worked." I whispered to myself, my gaze still fixed on the successful sample (I mean, it could still blow up but that's not the point).

"Come on, Donnie." Leo ordered, peeking his head in. I just nodded, not looking over.

I got some pliers and picked the cracked petri dish up, carefully clearing the whole desk off and setting it in the middle to be sure it didn't fall off. I'd clean all this mess tomorrow. With a yawn, I stood and carefully stepped over the spilt contents of the failures.

"Hey, um, Leo, would it be okay if I went on some kind of self-discovery trip that Master Splinter mentioned before he left?" I wondered, walking next to my brother. He looked over at me and rose an eyebrow.

"When and where?" He questioned.

"Um, like around July or August maybe." I suggested as I smiled a little. Well, I'd need to start preparing now so I'd have enough time.

"And why'd you want to take the trip? What'd be your lesson?" He asked. Dang, he was really starting to sound like Splinter.

"I just need to explore beyond New York City. I've been trapped in this stinky sewer for nearly _eighteen _years now." I answered, "I want to go places." I added. He gave a long sigh just as we reached our rooms.

"Let me think about it." He said, "Night." I gave a toothy smile and walked into my room. My rarely used room. I fell onto my bed with a 'oof'. It gave a loud creak and I was sure it'd probably collapse right then.

Finally things were starting to go my way. Well, I probably shouldn't say that now. Darn, I probably jinxed it. I shook my head, trying to change my thoughts.

"I wonder what college is like?" I mumbled to myself, taking off my gear and mask. I've never been to any kind of school before and didn't know how they worked. Maybe I'm actually behind on studies instead of ahead like I think? Would April even recognize me? Should I tell my brothers? Would they approve of my decision? If Splinter was here, would he approve? I sighed and climbed under the dusty covers of my old bed.

"It's gonna work." I assured the ceiling. I turned onto my side, pulling the little cord to turn off my lamp.

"It has to work."

**Please review! Next chapter should be up soon :)**


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